A Girl Worth Fighting For
by DancesWithSeatbelts
Summary: Natsu navigates unspeakable horrors to win Lucy's love or Natsu goes shopping, looking for the perfect white day gift.


_**Prompt: White Day ~ A Girl Worth Fighting For**_

 _ **Pairing: Nalu (can't resist)**_

 _ **Rating: fluffy**_

 _ **Word count: 1646**_

 _ **'A Girl Worth Fighting For'**_

 **Summary: Natsu navigates unspeakable horrors to win Lucy's love ~ or ~ Natsu goes shopping, looking for the perfect white day gift.**

* * *

"Happy, are you sure this is the best department store in Magnolia?" Natsu craned his head up to look at the fancy lettering on the big glass windows. "Hudson's Em - poor - e - um? Doesn't look that great. You sure this the best one?"

"Well yeah, lookit all the stuff in the windows!" Happy gestured to the fancy display of mannequins wearing the latest Heart Kreuz fashions. "Mira and Erza love this place!"

"But will I find Lucy the perfect gift here? She's not like other girls."

"Yeah, she's weird." The exceed chortled and flew out of reach. "But you're getting just as weird as her, worrying about finding a white day gift. Give her fish!"

Natsu shook his head. "If you're not gonna help you can leave."

"I wouldn't miss this for all the fish in the river."

Putting his worries aside for the moment, Natsu strode up to the double doors and entered Hudson's Emporium. Clothes, shoes, handbags and luggage were on the immediate left; on the right were displays of sporting equipment, kitchenware and lamps.

Natsu wandered aimlessly, Happy trailing behind him giving a constant stream of poor advice. "Ooh! Buy her a vacuum! How 'bout hip waders? Gym membership? Lookit that muumuu, maybe they have one in her size."

Natsu glared at his exceed. "Oi! I said if you're not gonna help you could leave!"

His usual shit-eating grin in place, Happy responded. "I never said I was gonna help - I said I wouldn't miss this for all the fish in the river!"

An announcement blared over the public address system: "White Day Special Sale next to the food department starting in five minutes."

With shining eyes and hope reborn in his heart, Natsu let go of Happy. "Lucy loves food!"

Rubbing his sore neck, Happy coughed. "That's one thing we can agree on, she loves greasy food!"

They joined the torrents of men rushing to the back of the store also intent on procuring the perfect White Day gift for their special lady. In between the food and millinery departments was a long table bedecked with a blinding white tablecloth. Upon it was a dazzling selection of white items; from marshmallows and white chocolate to candles, coffee cups and lingerie - all astonishingly white.

All the men trudged closer beginning to paw the merchandise. And once the P.A. system squawked alerting them to a time limit they began to toss through the sale items with terrible haste.

Natsu had never been subjected to such indignities before. As a mage of incredible power and wild disregard for personal safety and the subtleties of personal space, Natsu had never, ever been elbowed in a brouhaha over merchandise. Each man was desperately digging, searching for a cheap yet stylish and hopefully beloved gift for their special someone.

Happy flew overtop and dive-bombed the now swarming group of men pawing the selection of marshmallows, candles and skimpy night attire. Competition got fiercer. A fist-fight broke out over a set of mugs emblazoned with a cheesy 'love' print. Three men were sprawled on the marble floor - tussling over a package containing white slippers, a nighty and robe.

Shouted threats, kicks and thrown elbows kept Natsu off balance. He had never seen non-mages act like guild members before - it was more than a little off-putting. Finally his frozen state broke. Natsu dove into the throng with a battle cry worthy of Erza fighting for the last piece of strawberry cake. He searched with single-minded aim, finding and discarding novelty knickers embroidered with a suggestion he almost burst into flames just reading. The candles were a bit tempting, but not nice enough he decided. Marshmallows were 'meh', the chocolate too similar to what he'd received, the nightwear was all too nosebleed inducing and the mugs were honestly ugly.

The same voice emerged from the speakers: "Final five minutes left in our White Day Special Sale!"

The table of sale items was now engulfed in a writhing sea of desperate men still seeking the perfect purchase to please their girlfriends. Intent on one final item he'd had yet to examine, Natsu was taken unawares by two people playing tug of war with a large box. The smaller of the two men fighting head-butted his opponent who then stumbled backwards, grabbed at the table trying to keep upright, and flung a white metal trivet as he fell - which happened to conk Natsu on his forehead, knocking him out.

Happy dragged his friend under the table, hiding from the melee. He lightly slapped Natsu's face and when that didn't work, he put some muscle into it. Natsu roused ten minutes later as the special event table was being put away - the saleslady and her two assistants screaming were the perfect wake-up call.

A bit groggy and now with a dully pounding headache, Natsu ran with Happy as the three shop workers yelled 'pervert' at the top of their lungs.

Down a corridor and then up a set of stairs they found a quiet corner of the store. More than a little depressed and despondent Natsu sighed and confided in Happy. "That was my last hope. White Day is tomorrow and I don't have the slightest idea of what to get Lucy."

"Let's have a snack!" Happy tugged Natsu by the hand to a set of café tables and chairs. "Hudson's has the best tako-yaki in town."

"Maybe food with help me think." Natsu slumped into a seat. "I just wanted to give her something as nice as she is." Picking at the food Happy brought back, Natsu ate slowly and sparingly. "The sale is over and I don't know what to do."

"We won't leave until you find something."

"You're the best, buddy!"

* * *

To mark the special occasion, Natsu entered the apartment building on Strawberry Street using the ground floor entrance after reminding Happy he had is own special gift to deliver to Charle. Natsu trudged up the flights of stairs clutching Lucy's gift, wrapped in white paper and silver ribbon. It wasn't as flashy as some of the gifts he'd seen available, nor as sexy as the underwear - but upon seeing it, he'd known his search was over.

Knuckles poised over the door, the slayer paused. Natsu took a few deep calming breaths and shook his head to clear his thoughts. He knocked and waited, shifting the parcel from under one arm to the other.

The door opened showing Lucy's welcoming face becoming confused. "What are you doing?"

Natsu grinned. "Is that how you greet a guest? Weirdo."

"I don't think I've ever seen you use the door - or wait for me to let you in - or -" Lucy went silent as she saw the gift - and more importantly - the gift tag that bore her name in big swooping letters. "Come in."

Natsu remembered his uncertainty over his gift and his swagger lost a lot of his strut. He covered up his lapse in poise by setting down the gift box on the coffee table and dropping into his usual spot on Lucy's couch. Natsu clasped his fingers together and puffed air, blowing the unruly lock of hair that covered one eye out of the way.

"What happened?" Lucy couldn't stop herself from leaning over close from her seat and gently tracing over the band-aid over his eyebrow, full of concern for her best friend. "Does it hurt?"

His cheeks coloured a dull pink, clashing with his hair. "Nothin'. An' it only hurts a little bit."

"You have to take care of yourself you know."

"Yeah - but it was for a good reason." He gave Lucy a timid smile. "Remember those chocolates you made for me?"

She nodded and bit her lip. "I remember."

"Please accept this." Natsu snatched up the box and thrust it at Lucy. "It's not one of the traditional recommended gifts, but as soon as I saw it I wanted you to have it."

"…" Lucy took hold of the proffered box. "Thank you." She smiled and her eyes gleamed with unshed tears. "You didn't have to get me anything. I did hope but I wasn't expecting." Lucy stared at the pretty white paper with silver ribbon on her lap and traced her name on the card.

"Open it." Eagerness coloured Natsu's voice as he encouraged Lucy. "I saw it and thought of you."

Lucy plucked the card off the gift and set it aside on the table (that was going into her scrapbook later). Lucy tugged on the ribbon and set that beside the tag. Using her nails she slit the tape all around the box lid. Slowly she prised off the lid and sat silent. Natsu had given her a selection of pens, ink and a leather bound notebook in the creamiest pale yellow colour.

She blinked, set the gift down on the table and held out her hands to Natsu who was holding his breath as he tried to figure out if Lucy was pleased. Her eyes sparkled and in that instant Natsu knew Lucy was happy. He lunged forward hugging her; wrapped his arms around her and squeezed, breathing in calming air. "I'm so glad you like it!"

"Yeah, I like …it…and you."

Natsu nodded, then realized Lucy couldn't see that - he needed to speak. "I know, or else you wouldn't have taken so much time and care to make those chocolates."

Lucy blushed. "This is a very thoughtful gift, but it's much more than three times the value of what I gave you. You didn't -"

"Don't be such a weirdo." Natsu pulled back so he could see Lucy's face. He looked into her eyes as he rubbed his forehead. "You're worth it, and never let it be said you're not a girl worth fighting for."


End file.
